Keith Warren, director of CESA. said it was with "great sadness" that it had to announce the news. Peter passed away on Thursday 5 November.

“Peter was well known to many in the industry and remained involved as a regular attendee at Hotelympia and at the CESA Patron’s lunches. Peter was also a strong supporter when the Association produced the history of CESA a few years ago, to celebrate the 75th anniversary. He will be sadly missed.”

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Following service as a pilot in the RAF during the second World War, Peter joined Benham & Sons Ltd in February 1947 as a trainee sales representative at the Bournemouth branch office.

Benham was a founder member of CEMA and a leading manufacturer of prime cooking appliances and ancillary kitchen equipment during the post war years.

The company’s speciality was the complete kitchen project and in those pre-CAD days it employed 40 skilled draughtsmen in the London head office.

Peter became Bournemouth branch manager, responsible for the sales activities in all Benham’s eight branch offices throughout the UK and Southern Ireland.

In 1980 when Benhams merged with Stotts of Oldham to form Stott-Benham, (now Electrolux), Peter occupied a new position as national sales manager responsible for complete kitchen schemes.

He retired from Stott-Benham in 1990 when he was awarded the OBE for his services to the catering equipment industry. Shortly afterwards he joined Fellows as sales consultant where he remained until recently.

In 2002 he received the CESA Lifetime Achievement Award.

Peter’s funeral will be at Bournemouth Crematorium, Strouden Avenue, Bournemouth, Dorset BH8 9HX on Thursday, 12 November at 12.00 noon and afterwards at the Miramar Hotel, Bournemouth.